Progressive lock washer assembly for coaxial cable connectors

Abstract

A cable connector includes a body having a longitudinal axis, an inner post, an outer barrel mounted to the inner post, and a fitting mounted to the inner post. The inner post includes a front, a rear, and an outwardly-directed front flange at the front. The fitting includes a front, a rear, and an inwardly-directed rear flange at the rear. The fitting is mounted on the inner post so that the front and rear flanges overlap to define a toroidal volume. A wave washer and a lock washer are each carried in the toroidal volume. When the fitting is applied to a female post, the wave washer and the lock washer are compressed between the front and rear flanges and exert an axial bias on the front and rear flanges to prevent axial separation of the fitting and the female post.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A cable connector comprising:
 a body including a longitudinal axis, an inner post, and an outer barrel and a fitting each mounted to the inner post; 
 the inner post includes a front, an opposed rear, and an outwardly-directed front flange at the front; 
 the fitting includes a front and rear, and an inwardly-directed rear flange at the rear; 
 the fitting is mounted on the inner post so that the front and rear flanges overlap to define a toroidal volume; 
 a wave washer and a lock washer nested against each other, each carried in the toroidal volume, wherein the waver washer has a circular cross-section and includes two opposed forward lobes defining convex sections of the wave washer and two opposed rearward lobes defining concave sections of the wave washer, and each forward lobe of the wave washer is circumferentially spaced apart from the rearward lobes of the wave washer by a quarter-arc of the wave washer, and the lock washer has a parallelogram cross-section and includes two opposed forward lobes defining convex sections of the wave washer and two opposed rearward lobes defining concave sections of the wave washer, and each forward lobe of the lock washer is circumferentially spaced apart from the rearward lobes of the wave washer by a quarter-arc of the lock washer; and 
 when the fitting is applied to a female post, the wave washer and the lock washer are compressed between the front and rear flanges and exert an axial bias on the front and rear flanges to prevent axial separation of the fitting and the female post. 
 
     
     
       2. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the wave washer is disposed in front of the lock washer in the toroidal volume. 
     
     
       3. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the toroidal volume moves between a lengthened condition and a contracted condition when the fitting is applied to the female post, and the wave washer and the lock washer are compressed in response thereto. 
     
     
       4. A cable connector comprising:
 a body including a longitudinal axis, an inner post, and an outer barrel and a fitting each mounted to the inner post; 
 the inner post includes a front, an opposed rear, and an outwardly-directed front flange at the front; 
 the fitting includes a front and rear, and an inwardly-directed rear flange at the rear; 
 the fitting is mounted on the inner post so that the front and rear flanges overlap to define a toroidal volume; 
 a wave washer and a lock washer nested against each other, each carried in the toroidal volume, wherein the waver washer has a circular cross-section and includes two opposed forward lobes defining convex sections of the wave washer and two opposed rearward lobes defining concave sections of the wave washer, and each forward lobe of the wave washer is circumferentially spaced apart from the rearward lobes of the wave washer by a quarter-arc of the wave washer, and the lock washer has a parallelogram cross-section and includes two opposed forward lobes defining convex sections of the wave washer and two opposed rearward lobes defining concave sections of the wave washer, and each forward lobe of the lock washer is circumferentially spaced apart from the rearward lobes of the wave washer by a quarter-arc of the lock washer; and 
 when the fitting is applied to a female post, the wave washer enlarges radially and exerts a radial bias between the inner post and the fitting to limit rotation of the fitting with respect to the inner post. 
 
     
     
       5. The connector of  claim 4 , wherein the wave washer is disposed in front of the lock washer in the toroidal volume. 
     
     
       6. The connector of  claim 4 , wherein the toroidal volume moves between a lengthened condition and a contracted condition when the fitting is applied to the female post, and the wave washer enlarges radially in response thereto. 
     
     
       7. A cable connector comprising:
 a body including a longitudinal axis, an inner post, and an outer barrel and fitting each mounted to the inner post; 
 the inner post includes a front, an opposed rear, and an outwardly-directed front flange at the front; 
 the fitting includes a front and rear, and an inwardly-directed rear flange at the rear; 
 the fitting is mounted on the inner post so that the front and rear flanges overlap to define a toroidal volume; 
 a wave washer and a lock washer nested against each other, each carried in the toroidal volume, wherein the waver washer has a circular cross-section and includes two opposed forward lobes defining convex sections of the wave washer and two opposed rearward lobes defining concave sections of the wave washer, and each forward lobe of the wave washer is circumferentially spaced apart from the rearward lobes of the wave washer by a quarter-arc of the wave washer, and the lock washer has a parallelogram cross-section and includes two opposed forward lobes defining convex sections of the wave washer and two opposed rearward lobes defining concave sections of the wave washer, and each forward lobe of the lock washer is circumferentially spaced apart from the rearward lobes of the wave washer by a quarter-arc of the lock washer; and 
 when the fitting is applied to a female post, the wave washer and the lock washer are compressed between the front and rear flanges and exert an axial bias on the front and rear flanges to prevent axial separation of the fitting and the female post, and the wave washer enlarges radially and exerts a radial bias between the inner post and the fitting to limit rotation of the fitting with respect to the inner post. 
 
     
     
       8. The connector of  claim 7 , wherein the wave washer is disposed in front of the lock washer in the toroidal volume. 
     
     
       9. The connector of  claim 7 , wherein the toroidal volume moves between a lengthened condition and a contracted condition when the fitting is applied to the female post, and the wave washer and the lock washer are compressed and the wave washer enlarges radially in response thereto. 
     
     
       10. The connector of  claim 7 , wherein the lock washer is selected from the group consisting of a split ring washer, an external tooth washer, an internal tooth washer, a trapezoidal washer, an oblique sever washer, a ring washer, a split ring riser washer, a three quarter washer, a semicircular washer, and a split ring double riser washer.